


Catch 22

by Jakathine, themasterofvillainy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, artist!Kylo, shop owner!Hux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 19:56:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9087976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jakathine/pseuds/Jakathine, https://archiveofourown.org/users/themasterofvillainy/pseuds/themasterofvillainy
Summary: So this is Ch.1Comments? Feedback? Interest in an AU like this?Ch.2 is in the works/edits atm.





	

Hux looked down his nose at the massive pile of cardboard boxes that had arrived earlier that morning. 

 

Inside were cellophane-wrapped volumes of new books, fresh editions from the print, and he had to reserve extreme self control from just opening one of the boxes up to read ahead on one series he knew would be in there. Before all that could even happen he would have to enlist the help of Phasma to even get the damn things moved to a better location in a decent amount of time. 

He shook his head and walked back to the service counter, intending on dealing with the problem when she arrived that afternoon for work. The delivery service kept dropping the books off at the wrong place, no matter how often he would try to redirect them, and every time it would be - inevitably - too close to the door that lead to the stairwell up to his apartment. Luckily for him they always needed the back entrance unlocked so the likelihood of him getting shut into his apartment was low but the fact remained it was irritating.

His thoughts were interrupted by the cheery ding of the door bell as a guest entered. Problem ignored for now Hux looked over to greet the newcomer and was temporarily muted by the person’s appearance.

The person wore ripped black jeans which clung to strong legs and a off-white shirt with some sort of odd script too obscured by a lengthy leather jacket to be made out and carried a black teardrop backpack with all sorts of randomly assorted pins attached that looked like runes of some sort. Their face was half hidden by a silky wave of black hair, making Hux only guess the customer was a man by the sheer height and width he boasted.

“Welcome to the _ First Order _ ,” Hux managed to say, putting on his best smile as the person flopped heavily into one of the plush armchairs just inside the store, “My name’s Hux. If you need any help just ask.”

The person looked up with a little smile that touched full pink lips that Hux swore probably were not as pure as they looked but perhaps, maybe, just as sweet. The man’s eyes were a rich brown and practically shone with amusement as he inclined his head back in acknowledgment. He took off his backpack and set it down on the floor beside him, digging around in it until he found what he was looking for: a black sketchbook, a pencil, and a stubby eraser.

Hux found it interesting but knew he couldn’t stay there forever just watching. Customers tended to get creeped out by that, so he went about different tables to reorganize the displays and make sure books were turned spine-outwards. Just as he disappeared behind a shelf to push a book back into place he heard a loud  _ thunk _ . Concerned it was a book which had fallen Hux poked his head out of the aisle and found himself suddenly livid.

There, on the low round wood table in the center of the four armchairs, the man had mercilessly propped his black combat-booted feet, ignoring the fact that there were magazines underneath them as well. He didn’t even glance Hux’s way, his focus entirely on quick, rushed pencil strokes on the paper, as Hux strode up to him.

“Please remove your feet from the table,” Hux said, placing a hand on his hip for good measure.

The man did not respond, but when he glanced up and saw Hux he took out one earbud that was blasting some sort of screamo metal that made Hux’s teeth feel set on edge.

“Remove your feet from the table,” Hux repeated, pointing down the man’s feet.

The man smiled, like a cat would when told to move elsewhere, and slowly slid his feet off and onto the ground with loud dual thumps. Something about the man reminded Hux exactly of Millicent, his own cat, with his sloped smirk, but that did not deter him from giving another warning look before going back to his work.

No further incident continued for some time and Hux was finally able to relax and greet more guests as they came in and assisted them when they needed it. A fellow by the name of Mitaka who always came in for at least an hour or two at least once a week sat in his usual chair which happened to be the one facing opposite of the mystery man who had arrived earlier. Mitaka looked a little nervous at first, but then again he always looked nervous, but he booted up his laptop and worked anyways. 

Hux was reaching up to one of the top levels of a shelf and cursing himself for laying the book flat instead of upright and wondering where he had left his little step-stool when a hand shot past his own and grabbed it, bringing it down to his level. He was by no means short but having put full wall-to-ceiling bookshelves in when the ceiling was seven and a half feet high wasn’t the best combination at times. He turned to thank the person and was greeted with a faceful of the stranger he had been eyeing.

“You’re welcome,” the person said, his voice deep and warm but softer than what Hux had considered it would sound like.

Hux wanted to kick his own ass into gear because the sound of it seemed to root him to the spot. Finally, he said a quick thank you.

“Hux, was it?” he asked, smiling that damnable sloped smile again, “Mine’s Kylo.”

Hux shook his hand firmly, trying to not get distracted with how large Kylo’s hands were against his own slimmer ones. Before he could say anything else, which was perhaps a good thing at the moment, Phasma burst through the front door in the only way she possibly does.

“General!!” she practically roared into the usually quiet shop, startling a few customers.

He wanted to pinch his nose but mostly at the endearment, “Sorry I must go, I have some orders to take care of unpacking now that my employee is here.”

Kylo backed up and away, letting Hux by him, and waved a small goodbye before leaving the shop. Phasma, meanwhile, watched the exchange with the hugest grin.

“So who’s the cutie?” she asked as she slipped on her black with red-trimmed work apron.

Hux felt his ears grow hot, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He merely helped me get a book. Earlier he put his damned feet up on the table so I do not like him very much.”

Phasma whistled low, mockingly but still playful, “Yeah, ok, no feet on the table. That’s a big no-no, but he’s still a cutie.”

He glared at her and rolled the sleeves up on his shirt, “Help me go move those boxes then get busy unpacking them while I watch the front desk. Make sure to bring three copies of each book marked ‘Bestseller’ specifically for the counter since they’re new releases.”

Phasma gave him a customary mock-salute, “Aye, General,” before turning on her heel to do what she had been asked.

  
  


\---

 

The next couple of times Kylo visited over the next couple of weeks they each went about the same. 

When Kylo came in the door he once more resumed the spot in one of the chairs, turned up the music on his phone, and ignored everyone. Kylo would whip out the black notebook, pencil, and eraser and furiously draw during the two or three hours he would be there which although was fine Hux thought might have been scaring one or two of his older regular customers. 

Without fail Kylo would be dressed in something black which was ripped or shredded, threadbare in parts, or simply patched up in others. His long black coat remained the same but during the off chance he removed it Hux noticed Kylo wore a long silver chain necklace with an upside-down attached to it. 

Hux found it a little odd that Kylo had not even bothered to try to look at books like some customers did before settling into a chair (save for Mitaka whom he knew was bumming the Wifi from next door so he didn’t care, especially after Mitaka told him the passcode) and considered more than once about striking up a conversation with him. Every time he got that thought, though, he was deterred by customers or by the fact that Kylo looked so absorbed in his work that Hux did not want to interrupt. 

One evening, probably around fifteen minutes before closing, Hux heard shouting coming from outside on the covered patio area. It had started to rain not too long ago and that patio cover only shielded so much. Hoping to not stumble upon a lover’s quarrel Hux opened the door and looked out to see Kylo’s back but obviously on the phone, shouting in…. _.Latin?  _ to someone on the other end. Suddenly Kylo slammed his finger on the End key, his shoulders rising and falling with quiet fumes, as Hux piped up:

“Everything OK?”

Kylo whipped around, anger all over his face, but at the look on Hux’s own it ebbed slightly, “One of my friends was supposed to be here half an hour ago to pick me up. They forgot and now are out of town until tomorrow morning, without me, and I have no transportation,” lightning cracked and a low rumble followed suit carrying another sheet of heavy rain, “and it’s fucking raining!!”

As loathe as Hux was to get anywhere in the rain he felt like he couldn’t just leave Kylo without a vehicle, “Where do you live? I can take you there after I close shop.”

Kylo eyed him warily but said, “The Avant Hostel.”

Now it was time for Hux to eye Kylo, “Going to that hostel is not good with all this rain going on. The risk of a tree falling down or something is quite high. Stay in the shop overnight, at least. I can take you in the morning if you’re friend hasn’t come.”

“...All right,” Kylo agreed after a few moments, obviously nonplussed by the situation but knowing there was nothing else really he could do.

Hux led him back inside and it looked like Kylo was going to slink back to his chair when a book caught his attention. Kylo picked it up carefully and turned it over, skimming the back and only pausing a second longer on the author’s picture before returning back to reading the reviews towards the bottom.

“That’s one of our new prints. Arrived yesterday. Lucky to get my hands on it in time since apparently those among the initial five orders will receive an author visit sometime later in the year,” Hux commented as he looked around Kylo to the picture of the author displayed next to the book’s review listings, “We managed to squeeze in as shop number four. The Resistance indy shop up the road is the fifth and final shop. I don’t know how they managed it since they never seem to get a hold of good stuff very quick.”

“That’s…. Nice,” Kylo said, putting the book back down on its display easel. 

The way he put the book down almost made it seem to Hux that he had just touched something unpleasant. Kylo putting his hands deep into his pockets, like a child does when reprimanded, held Hux’s curiosity but he chose not to say anything.

After a cursory sweep and wiping down the tables Hux was satisfied to turn the door sign from Open to Closed then turned the lock and deadbolt.

“You’re free to stay down here in one of the chairs,” Hux said, pointing to one of the armchairs, “or even one of the couches in the other reading areas,” with that he pointed to the Mystery and Sci-Fi sections.

“What about you?” Kylo asked, brows knitting together in confusion.

“Oh, I live upstairs. That locked door near the restrooms back there leads up to a small stairwell to my apartment above the shop."

“Ah,” Kylo wandered his way to the Mystery section and put his backpack under the couch end while he reclined in it. He was a little too tall, his ankles propped up on one of the arms, but it would do.

“Anywho, opening is at nine AM so I’ll be down here at probably around eight-thirty. Do you like coffee or tea, because I can bring you some and a scone... if you want.”

“Sure,” Kylo said, already resigned to his spot on the couch as Hux walked past to the door and unlocked it.

“See you in the morning,” Hux called out over his shoulder, “‘Night.”

It wasn’t until after Hux had reached his little apartment that he wanted to mentally slap himself for not just inviting Kylo upstairs, especially for perhaps something to eat for a small dinner, but he had already said his goodnights and he did feel spectacularly tired so he skipped eating dinner too and went right for a shower. He pondered over the fact that he did let Kylo stay, something that he never had allowed to anyone. Not even to the fairly regular customers he could at least loosely call ‘friend’ had he ever let stay in the shop overnight.

As he lay there listening to the sounds of rain crashing on the windows and of Millicent’s loud purring where she had curled up against his side, he thought about the shop like he usually did but this time his thoughts kept drifting back to Kylo. To that damnable black hair and big eyes, of soft looking lips and warm hands with the tantalizing idea of both being on him. How Kylo looked when he saw that book and especially after seeing that author. He wanted to know more about the man.    
Hux rolled over onto his side, earning a plaintive mewl from Millicent, and pushed those thoughts away. He was entirely way too busy to get caught up in some sort of relationship right now.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is Ch.1  
> Comments? Feedback? Interest in an AU like this?  
> Ch.2 is in the works/edits atm.


End file.
